Edward Anthony, born in New York in 1819, was trained in civil engineering at Columbia University and had a strong interest in photography. In 1840, Anthony hired Samuel F. B. Morse to teach him the technique of the daguerreotype and used his newly acquired knowledge to photograph the northeastern boundary of the United States, images that were later used by the government to settle a border dispute with Canada.

Although Anthony produced photographs of his own, his most significant contribution to the field of photography was as a manufacturer, supplier, and purveyor of photographs. After his first photographic manufacturing business became a success, Anthony joined forces with his brother, Henry T. Anthony, in 1852 to form E. & H. T. Anthony. The brothers’ company became the largest manufacturer of cameras and photographic supplies in the world. Among the brothers’ most impressive offerings was the first hand-held instantaneous camera to be manufactured commercially and sold in America. E. & H. T. Anthony also provided supplies to well-known photographers like Mathew Brady and sold their photographs along as well as almost 7,000 different stereoviews.